Actress Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting has stirred some controversy over using the f-word in a magazine interview.
Feminism.
Cuoco-Sweeting was asked by Redbook magazine for the February issue if she considered herself a feminist.
Her answer: "Is it bad if I say no? It's not really something I think about."
After all, the 29-year-old who hyphenates her maiden and married names (a seemingly feminist thing to do?) doesn't have time.
She's too busy counting all the money she earns.
Forbes listed Cuoco-Sweeting, a Big Bang Theory cast member, as the third top paid TV actress of 2014 at $11 million (following No. 2 Mariska Hargitay with $13 million and No. 1 Sofia Vergara with $37 million).
And she'll have even more money to count the next three years. According to Deadline, Cuoco-Sweeting will make $1 million per half-hour episode (previously $325,000) through the 2017 season.
"Things are different now, and I know a lot of the work that paved the way for women happened before I was around," Cuoco-Sweeting was quoted as saying.
She is correct that things are different now. The 22-cent pay gap between men and women in 2013 is a little smaller than the 23 cents it was in 2012 and a lot smaller than the 40 cents it was in 1960.
But while things are "different," things are still not equal. Women make 78 cents for every dollar men make, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
We wouldn't expect Cuoco-Sweeting to know that. After all, her co-stars in the CBS series, Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki -- yes, both men -- are both making the same amount she is, according to Deadline.
"I was never that feminist girl demanding equality, but maybe that's because I've never really faced inequality," Cuoco-Sweeting was quoted as saying. In the same interview, she shares that she enjoys pampering her husband, tennis pro Ryan Sweeting: "I cook for Ryan five nights a week: It makes me feel like a housewife; I love that. I know it sounds old-fashioned, but I like the idea of women taking care of their men. I'm so in control of my work that I like coming home and serving him."
Some tweets to Cuoco-Sweeting were not so sweet:
"Ultimate eye rolls at @TheKaleyCuoco -- just because you haven't experienced inequality doesn't mean others don't."
"So @TheKaleyCuoco has never experienced discrimination. Pretty white girls are the #1 authority on discrimination. #fact."
"OK @TheKaleyCuoco you never faced racism either does that mean you should say you're not for equal rights? Oh & feminists like to cook too."
Others, though seemingly fewer in number, supported her stance:
"@TheKaleyCuoco Do not allow feminists to bash you into compromising your own principles. Stand strong on them; often, they are all we have."
My own response: Shrug.
I'm thrilled for Cuoco-Sweeting that she has never experienced unfair treatment. Personally, I'm not sure that I've experienced unfair treatment, although I credit trailblazers who preceded me. While I've mellowed in my years, and I'm not the same self-righteous women's studies minor moaning about The Man, I am grateful to the feminist movement, which has fought hard to secure women's social, political and financial equality.
Still, if Cuoco-Sweeting doesn't align herself with feminism, so be it. She has that right, right?
Isn't that what feminism is all about?
A woman's place is emailing:
jchristman@arkansasonline.com
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Style on 01/06/2015